A voice for all seasons

Manpriya Singh

She was a five-year-old when her father first spotted a powerful potential playback singer. Singer Harshdeep Kaur was in Class III when she made her school principal cry at the end of the rendition Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo on stage! 

Laughs, Harshdeep Kaur, “Ever since childhood, I not just wanted to be a singer but was quite specific that I wanted to be a playback singer.” Well, she is not just living her dream today, but rather living it up! It’s been a singularly exceptional week for her, “Because I have five songs releasing in six days.” There’s another song from Tapsee Pannu and Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Manmarziyaan, apart from, of course, the songs she’s given for Happy Phirr Bhaag Jayegi. “There’s also Lashtam Pashtam, which is also Om Puri’s last film.” 

And it all started with a song from a kids’ movie that she carelessly crooned while watching it. “My father heard me and asked me to sing again. I did. He himself had been into music, so he asked if I wanted to learn music and I said yes; that’s when my first ever brush with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa happened. Then on, I was enrolled properly under a guru.” 

At Mukesh Ambani’s party

Anyone who even remotely follows Bollywood, has seen the video where Harshdeep croons her single, Dilbaro, from Raazi, dedicated to father-daughter duo, Mukesh and Isha Ambani, who are swaying to it at the pre-engagement party. “Going to Antilia was special. And getting to go there as a guest and a performer made it even more special!”  

The turban look 

Tattoos, piercings, coloured hair and what not; there are certain look-books we strongly associate with singers; sometimes their identity and sometimes their eccentricity. It’s heart-warming to see a style statement that finds its roots in spirituality. 

“I participated in a reality show where I was in the Sufi team, so as a part of that we were supposed to sing many kalams. I have sung shabads too. So it obviated the need to cover my head every time I was giving a religious rendition. It started off as something spiritual, but went on to become a style statement, once people started identifying me with a turban.” 

Today, being an outsider, she doesn’t really feel like one in Bollywood. “It’s a place that respects talent and success, of course. There are struggle stories for every outsider, but that’s part of the turf. Luck counts too, but you get lucky only when you are prepared for the opportunities when they come knocking on your door.”  

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